Lesson Number 1: Don't Eat the Alien Fruit
by MaureenT
Summary: In a society that is ruled by women, SG1 get into a very compromising situation that results in two of them seeing each other in a new way. SD romance. COMPLETE! NOTE: Rating changed.
1. Chapter 1

**Lesson Number One: Don't Eat the Alien Fruit**

**Author:** MaureenT  
**Categories:** Humor, Romance  
**Content Warning:** Adult Themes, Mild Profanity, Sexual Content  
**Spoilers:** None

**Author's Notes: **This story takes place sometime between Memento Mori and The Quest Pt. 1. It contains a Daniel/Sam romance. **IMPORTANT NOTE: This story is slightly AU in the fact that Tomin, Vala's husband, is dead.**

* * *

CHAPTER ONE

The five members of SG-1 traveled cautiously down the dirt path. The presence of weeds growing abundantly on the path seemed to indicate that it was rarely used. The MALP had not shown any signs of recent activity, which could mean that a Prior had not visited this world yet.

After walking around half a mile, they saw their first signs of habitation, a herd of animals being tended by a girl of around twelve. The child stared at them, wide-eyed, then ran away in the direction SG-1 was traveling.

"I'm guessing that we'll be getting company soon," Cameron Mitchell said.

He was right. A few minutes later, eight women on horseback came riding up to them, armed with bows and swords. The members of SG-1 raised their weapons in response.

"Who are you?" asked one of the women. "From where do you come?"

Daniel lowered his P-90 and held out his hand in a calming gesture. "It's all right. We come in peace. We're explorers. We came through the Stargate, the big ring."

The women all frowned. Then they focused their eyes on Sam and Vala.

"Which of you is in authority?" the same woman asked, very clearly addressing the two female members of the team.

Cameron began to answer. "Actually, I'm—" He was stopped by Daniel's hand grabbing his arm. He looked at the archeologist, who shook his head slightly in warning.

Sam noticed the exchange. She caught Daniel's eyes for a moment, then turned back to the women. "I am," she said.

"You came through the stone ring?" she was asked.

"Yes."

Another of the women spoke. "It has been many years since any came through." She looked at Daniel, Cameron and Teal'c and smiled. "This is good. Tafrea will be very pleased." The smile was replaced with a frown as she looked down at SG-1's firearms. "Those are weapons?"

"Yes, but we don't want to hurt anyone," Vala said.

"You must give them to us until we know that you are friends." Five of the women aimed their bows at the team to drive home their point.

The members of SG-1 all looked at each other. With an unspoken agreement, they handed their weapons to the women, removing the ammo first. They were then taken to a small village. Daniel noticed two things immediately. The first was that there were no children in sight. The second was that there were at least five times as many women as there were men.

The party stopped in the center of the village, and the horses were led off, though the women who'd ridden them stayed, keeping their hands on their swords.

A tall woman with long gray hair came up to them. On either side of her was another woman.

"I am Tafrea," the grey-haired woman said. "Welcome to our village." She turned to Sam. "I am told that you came through the stone ring. It has been nearly two generations since any visited us from another world."

"We're explorers," Sam told her. "We travel from world to world seeking trade or allies. The main reason we came here was to find out if you've had any recent visitors, a man who would have come to speak to you about beings called the Ori and their religion."

Tafrea shook her head. "No one like that has come to this village, although I do not know of the others. We have not traded with them in several months."

"That's good. They're very dangerous. If one comes here, you're people could be at risk. They've already killed many people. They are extremely powerful."

"We will fight them."

"No, you don't understand," Daniel said, which caused Tafrea and the other native women to glare at him. "They have weapons you couldn't defeat. Your best hope for survival would be to pretend to do whatever they told you or to leave the planet."

"We will not leave our home. If these people you speak of come here, we will see what they have to say." She looked at Sam. "You spoke of trade. We would be most amenable to that. There are only three other villages with which we can easily trade males."

The eyes of the four human members of SG-1 opened wide. Oh, boy.

"Trade m-males?" Sam stammered. "Uh-uh . . . no, we, um, we don't do that kind of trading."

Cameron was dying to make a remark, but the warning glare that Daniel focused on him kept his mouth shut. The same, unfortunately, could not be said for the newest member of SG-1.

"Well, you know, we could always take a look at what you have," Vala said. "We might be persuaded to change our minds."

"Of course," Tafrea responded. She studied the men of SG-1 in a way that made Cameron wonder if she was going to come over and start examining their teeth.

"They are fine males," she remarked. "We will bring you some of our best for you to consider as trade."

"That really won't be necessary," Sam insisted, shooting Vala a glare. "Like I said before, we don't trade men."

Tafrea frowned. "Never?"

"No, it's not our custom."

"Then how do you prevent weakened bloodlines?"

Sam didn't understand what she meant and looked at Daniel.

"Um, excuse me. Do you mean inbreeding?" he asked. "Uh, when a male and female who are closely related produce children?"

"Yes. It can cause children to be born with problems of the mind or body."

"That's usually not a problem where we come from," Cameron said. "There are plenty of guys to go around."

"Your male children do not die during Fashta?" one of the other women asked.

"Fashta?" Vala inquired.

"When a boy leaves childhood behind and enters manhood. When the change begins, most of our males begin to sicken. Many die before Fashta is complete."

"No, that doesn't happen where we come from," Daniel said. Well, that certainly explained a lot.

Tafrea exchanged a look with several of the other women. She then turned back to SG-1, an expression of great interest on her face.

"If you will excuse me, I must speak with some of my advisers. You will be taken to a place where you can wait."

Four of the armed women took them to a building with several small beds, a few chairs and a single table, as well as a crude sort of lavatory.

"Okay, so what's up with this place?" Cameron asked. "They trade people. That is just plain wrong."

"I agree, but Tafrea made it clear what their reason is," Daniel responded. "Because of the high mortality rate among males, the number of men is very small. To prevent too much inbreeding, they exchange men with other villages periodically, giving them access to a larger gene pool. They probably keep close track of every man and woman's bloodline."

"Well, a Prior hasn't been here, so we have no reason to stick around. I say that we bid them a polite farewell and get back through the gate before they get it in their heads to put us three guys up for auction."

Vala grinned. "Actually, that might be rather fun. They'd strip you naked, wouldn't they?" Her four teammates glared at her.

"We're going to have to wait for Tafrea to give us permission to leave," Daniel said. "She's obviously in charge of this village."

Vala raised her hand. "I have a question. Where are all the children?"

"Yes, I was wondering about that, too," Sam said. "The only one I've seen was the little girl tending that herd."

"It could be that they're kept in another area," Daniel replied. "I noticed a tall wooden fence at the south end of the village."

The door opened, and two women came in.

"Tafrea wishes to converse with you in private," one of them said to Sam.

"Uh, look—" Cameron began, but was cut off by Sam.

"Thanks. I'd like that." She went with the women.

"I don't like this," Cameron said.

"No, but we need to play by their rules for now," Daniel told him. "It's pretty obvious that, in this culture, men have a greatly inferior position. Some societies have little tolerance for cultures that are markedly different from their own. That's been true throughout Earth's history. These women might not react well to the knowledge that we come from a society that is mostly dominated by men."

"So, you're saying that I should stay cool and act the strong, silent type."

"That might be wise."

"So, women are the bosses around here," Vala said. "I think I like that. Then again, the obviously limited choice of male companionship would be a drawback."

* * *

Sam was taken to a small house. Tafrea sat on a divan with lots of cushions. She motioned to Sam.

"Come. Sit with me." Sam did as she asked. "What is your name?"

"Samantha Carter."

"Samantha. Your world sounds like an interesting place. Is there no way that we could persuade you to give us some of your males? It is possible that we could find things of value that we could use in trade."

"I'm sorry, but no. We don't trade people. We value all human life equally, both male and female."

"I see." She nodded to a teenaged girl, who brought over a tray with glasses of water and slices of an unusual-looking fruit. The girl set the tray on a low table.

"Please eat with me," Tafrea said.

"Um . . . thank you, but I don't think I should."

"It is our custom to share a meal with visitors. I would hope that you respect the customs of others." Tafrea picked up one of the slices of fruit and bit into it.

Sam looked at the fruit. Tafrea was eating some of it, so it probably wasn't poisoned. Besides, what reason would they have to poison her? If they wanted her dead, there were plenty of other ways to do it. And it wouldn't be a good idea to offend them, not if Sam and her teammates wanted to get out of here all in one piece.

She picked up a piece and took a small bite. It was pleasantly sweet, actually quite good, one of those flavors that begged you to eat more, like chocolate or potato chips.

"It is very good, is it not?" the older woman asked.

"Yes, it is."

Tafrea nodded. "The Shetai fruit is greatly prized by my people. Please. Eat as much as you wish. I would hope that, although our two cultures are so different, we can still be friends."

"I'm sure we could. And it's possible that we might be able to help with whatever it is that kills your male children, although I couldn't promise it."

"That would be most appreciated."

Sam finished her piece of fruit and took another as Tafrea did the same. She was on her third piece when she began feeling slightly light-headed. She put it down, suddenly having a feeling that she'd made a big mistake.

"I'm not feeling well," she said.

"Do not worry. The feeling will pass." Tafrea smiled. "Soon, you will be feeling very good."

Alarmed, Sam stood up and backed away a step. "What did you do? What did you give me?"

"Fear not. It will not harm you. In fact, it will bring you great pleasure, a pleasure that all women should know."

* * *

Sam had been gone around half an hour when the door was opened and she was brought in, followed by Tafrea. It didn't take long for Sam's teammates to see that something wasn't quite right with her. To the great surprise of the three men of SG-1, she actually began checking them out, her eyes roaming over their bodies, a smile of appreciation on her face.

"Choose the one who pleases you most," Tafrea said to her.

"Whoa, whoa," Cameron said. "What the hell's going on?"

"As is our custom, Samantha has partaken of the Shetai fruit, which fills a woman's body with great desire."

"An aphrodisiac? You gave her an aphrodisiac?"

"Sam, are you okay?" Daniel asked, worried.

"Yes, Daniel. I feel very good." She smiled at him, but not in any way that she ever had before. The smile was . . . sultry. Oh, boy. This was _so_ not good.

"Look, I don't know what kinky customs you people have here, but, as you already know, we're not from this planet," Cameron told Tafrea.

"That matters not," she responded. "You are here now, and you will abide by our laws and customs. If you refuse, you and your male companions will suffer greatly. If Samantha does not want any of you, then she can choose from among our men."

Vala smiled and shrugged. "Well, it's not like this is so bad. So, Samantha will have a good time with one of you, and then we can all go home."

"No, you, too, must partake," Tafrea stated.

Vala's smile got bigger. "I do admit that it sounds like a whole lot of fun, but I've always preferred a willing participant in my bed."

"You would find many willing males in our village."

"Hmm. Tempting, but I think I'll pass."

"The choice is not yours," Tafrea declared firmly.

"What happens afterwards?" Daniel asked. "Are you going to let us go?"

"Once the choosing and mating are completed, you may go." Tafrea turned back to Sam. "Choose now or one will be chosen for you."

Sam looked at the three male members of SG-1. First, she walked up to Teal'c, running her hands seductively across his shoulders, then she went to Cameron, sliding her hand over his chest. Last was Daniel, who tried very hard not to move an inch as Sam caressed his arms and chest. She looked back toward the other two men, then, much to Daniel's shock and dismay, took his hand and began pulling him toward the door.

"The choice has been made." Tafrea smiled. "You have chosen well, Samantha." She glared at Daniel. "You will please her or you and your male companions will pay the price. The effects of the Shetai fruit will not abate until after Samantha has reached the highest peak of passion."

With several armed women accompanying them, Sam took Daniel to a nearby structure that contained little more than a large bed. Daniel was nearly panicking as Sam shut the door behind the two of them, their escort remaining outside. The room was quite warm, having no windows for ventilation, but that wasn't the reason why Daniel had started sweating.

"Uhhh . . . l-look, Sam," he stammered. "I know that, right now, you're not thinking very clearly, b-but . . ." Sam's hands ran down the front of his chest and abdomen to his belt, "b-but we really shouldn't be doing this." She went around behind him and caressed his back. "We're . . . we're teammates and-and-and friends, and if we do this like . . . like this, we'll both feel horrible afterwards." He stiffened as Sam came around to face him and began pulling his T-shirt out of his pants. Daniel grasped her wrists. "Sam, please. There has to be some rational part left inside you."

Instead of replying, Sam pulled free of his grasp, grabbed hold of his belt and tugged him toward the bed.

"Oh, God," Daniel whispered. How was he going to do this? Sam would never feel comfortable around him again. It could damage their friendship.

She pushed him down to sit on the bed.

"Sam, please," he begged. "We can't do this."

Sam knelt on the bed. She pressed herself against his side. Her lips drew close to his ear.

"Shh. Relax, Daniel," she whispered. "The drug or whatever it is didn't work on me. I'm fine."

The archeologist's head whipped about, and he stared at her. "Sam?"

She smiled at him, eyes clear and earnest.

A wave of intense relief washed over Daniel. "Thank God."

"Shh. I'm pretty sure we're not being watched, but you can bet that someone is standing outside, listening in. I don't know what they'd do if they knew that the fruit didn't work on me, so we're going to have to pretend that it did."

Daniel stared at her. "What are you saying?"

Sam grinned. "I hope you're really good at faking it."

Daniel's eyes widened. "Y-you mean. . . ."

"Uh huh."

"Uhhhh. . . ."

"Come on. This could be fun," Sam told him. She began moving backwards toward the head of the bed, motioning for him to join her. Once they were sitting by the pillows, they looked at each other.

"Um, okay, what do we do? I mean, I've never, um. . . ." Daniel blushed.

"Faked it before? No, I should imagine you haven't. Generally, the only guys who fake it are actors during sex scenes. First of all, we should probably strip down to our underwear and get under the covers. Once this is all over, they'll be coming in here, and it needs to look like we're naked."

"Okay."

Feeling a little self-conscious, they turned their backs on each other and undressed, Daniel down to his boxers and Sam to her bra and panties. The archeologist placed his glasses on a small table near the bed. As they got under the covers, Sam couldn't help but get a look at Daniel's bare chest and torso. Though it was certainly not the first time she'd seen his naked upper body, she felt a surprisingly strong tingle of female appreciation. Daniel, too, had gotten a glimpse of Sam's nearly naked form and couldn't help but admire it.

He glanced at her shoulders. "Uh, what about your bra straps?"

Sam looked down. "Oh. Right." Making sure that she remained covered, Sam slipped the straps off.

"Okay, now what?"

In reply, Sam closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and let out a low, sexy moan that made Daniel's eyes get _really_ big. Then she murmured, "Ohhhh, yes, Daniel. Mmm. Feels so good."

Daniel's eyes were getting bigger by the second, his mouth hanging open. Though he was trying very hard to ignore it, Sam's low, husky voice was having an effect on him.

Sam opened her eyes and jabbed him with her finger, whispering, "Come on. You, too."

Blushing scarlet, Daniel made a half-hearted moan.

"Oh, come on. You need to do better than that."

_'Okay, I can do this,'_ Daniel told himself. _'I have to do this.'_ He let out a louder, more convincing moan.

Sam smiled. "Much better."

Daniel smiled as well. Okay, so this was a very awkward and embarrassing situation, but he and Sam were friends. They'd be fine. Besides, she was right. It _could_ be fun.

"Oh, Sam," he moaned in the sexiest way he knew how. Sam's eyes widened slightly. Whoa. That had actually been kind of a turn-on. Daniel could do sexy.

Pushing that thought aside, she countered with, "Yes, Daniel. Right there, baby. Ohhhhh, yes."

'Baby?' Daniel mouthed, his lips quirking upward in amusement.

Sam lightly slapped his shoulder, then moaned louder. Not to be outdone, Daniel let out a deep groan.

They gradually began increasing the number of moans, groans and other sounds of passion to simulate progressively more energetic foreplay.

Daniel leaned forward and whispered. "Does this bed squeak?"

"What?"

"I was thinking that, if it does, we should, you know, move around a bit."

"Right. Good thinking."

They both bounced up a bit and were rewarded with not a squeak, but, instead, a creak of wood. Grinning at each other, they resumed making sounds of passion while occasionally throwing in a bed creak or two.

Before they knew it, they were actually competing with each other as to who could make the most convincing sounds of sexual nirvana. The problem was that it was also cracking them up, and, more than once, they had to muffle laughter.

"So, you think it's been long enough to move this show onto the finale?" Daniel asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Running out of steam already, Daniel?" Sam questioned teasingly.

"Hey, I can go for as long as you can, Sam, but we're due for a check-in in less than half an hour, and you really don't want Mitchell to explain to Landry why we missed it, do you?"

"Good point." Sam began bouncing up and down on the bed in earnest. She was joined by Daniel. She began letting out cries of rapture. Daniel added some louder moans and groans.

Suddenly, Sam threw her head back and loudly screamed his name in pretend ecstasy. The archeologist belted out a shout of his own.

They both fell silent, smothering their laughter in the pillows. Once the giggling was past, they looked at each other.

"They'll probably be coming in at any minute," Sam said, "so we should probably, uh, be holding each other."

"Oh. Yes, you're right."

Being very careful not to touch any body parts he shouldn't, Daniel drew Sam into his arms. Her body was warm, and he could smell her perspiration from the physical activity and the heat of the room. He felt a quiver of reaction in the pit of his stomach, but tried to ignore it, passing it off as a natural physiological response. After all, it had been a very, very long time since he'd had a mostly naked woman in his arms. Unfortunately, trying to ignore it wasn't quite working. He really hoped someone came soon.

To get his mind off what he was feeling, Daniel asked. "There's something I need to know. Why did you pick me?"

The question succeeded in distracting Sam from the thoughts that had been whirling through her mind, thoughts about how firm and muscular Daniel's body felt against her, how good he smelled, even with the faint scent of sweat, how his hands on her bare back were making her body tingle.

"I, um, knew right from the start that I'd pick you," she replied. "If I'd picked Cam, he'd never have shut up about it. He couldn't have resisted teasing me. As for Teal'c, that would be just way too weird. But you . . . I knew that you'd be great about it. You'd be a gentleman and never say another word about it." The irrational thought came to Sam that she wasn't sure she wanted him to be a gentleman at that moment. Alarmed by the thought, Sam forcefully shoved it down. "Besides, you're my best friend, Daniel. If I couldn't do this with my best friend, who could I do it with?"

Daniel smiled at her softly. "Thanks, Sam. I'm . . . I'm glad you picked me."

He looked deeply into her eyes. The smiles on their faces faded as their awareness of each other and the reactions in their bodies grew too powerful to ignore. The rate of their respiration and heartbeat began to climb, and they both felt a flush of heat race through their bodies.

Daniel's arms tightened their hold. "Sam," he whispered a little hoarsely.

Almost of its own volition, Sam's hand began running up and down Daniel's chest. In response, one of his slid further down her back to just above the swell of her buttocks, his thumb gliding back and forth across her skin.

All at once, they both felt a hot explosion of desire burst inside them. In the next instant, they were kissing. The fire inside flared into an inferno within the space of a nanosecond. Lips opened, and they were soon searching each other's mouths with uncontrollable passion. Sam rubbed against Daniel, the movement causing the cups of her bra to slide down. The sensation of her bare breasts against Daniel's naked chest made their senses reel. Daniel rolled over, bringing Sam underneath him. The moan that escaped Sam's lips was anything but fake.

Daniel's mouth left hers and went on a journey down her neck as his hand cupped her breast. Sam moaned low in her throat at the exquisite sensation. God, this felt so good. She ground herself against him. He responded by copying the movement, one of his hands now curved over her buttocks.

Daniel's lips were dipping down into the valley between Sam's breasts when the door opened. They jerked apart, Sam covering herself.

"Oh! My deepest apologies, Samantha," the woman standing in the doorway said. "We had believed that your mating was concluded." She looked at Daniel in admiration. "Few men are capable of mating again so quickly."

Daniel blushed all the way down to his neck.

The woman returned her gaze to Sam. "If you wish, I will come back later so that you can enjoy more pleasure with this man."

"No!" Daniel and Sam both blurted out.

"I, uh, mean that, as much as I'd love to, we really don't have the time," Sam stammered.

"Very well. Please get dressed and rejoin the rest of your people."

Avoiding each other's eyes, Daniel and Sam got out of the bed and started redressing, refusing to acknowledge the lingering traces of the feelings that had been controlling them only moments ago.

Daniel was sitting on the bed, tying his boots, when a realization struck him. He sat upright. "Uh oh."

Sam glanced over her shoulder at him. "What?"

"Vala's next."

Sam's eyes widened. "Oh, shit!"

The curse almost made Daniel smile. Sam had never used that word before, at least not in his presence.

"Okay, it may be all right," she then said. She walked around the bed and sat beside him so that she could lower her voice. "I've been thinking about this, and it's possible that I wasn't affected by the fruit because of Jolinar."

Daniel relaxed. "And Vala was a host to Qetesh."

"Right. So, she'll probably be immune, too."

Daniel's relief was short-lived. "Sam, if she picks me, and I have to put on the same act with her, she will _never_ let me forget it."

Sam sympathized with Daniel. She knew that he was right. "Well, I guess all we can hope is that she doesn't pick you."

* * *

So, you think that SG-1 is in a sticky situation now? Just wait. It's gonna get worse. :-D


	2. Chapter 2

**Important Note: Just in case you didn't see it when I first mentioned it, I'll say again that Tomin, Vala's husband, is dead in this reality. **

CHAPTER TWO

Daniel and Sam left the building and were taken back to the others. The expression on the faces of their teammates made them squirm. Teal'c's eyebrow was raised almost to his hairline, Cameron was grinning broadly, and Vala was staring at both of them in surprise and with a smile of her own.

Cameron slapped Daniel on the back heartily. "Way to go, Jackson! I didn't know you had it in you. I bet half the village could hear you two."

Both Sam and Daniel blushed violently.

_'This is a nightmare,'_ Sam groaned silently.

Tafrea came up to them and addressed Vala. "Come. It is your turn."

A big smile brightened Vala's face. After all, since saying no wasn't an option, she might as well enjoy this. It certainly had sounded like Daniel and Sam did.

As Vala was taken away, the other four members of SG-1 sat down. The door had been left open, two armed women stationed outside.

Daniel and Sam avoided looking at their teammates. They would like to have explained to Cameron and Teal'c that it had been an act, but with the door open and those women there, that was out of the question. Explanations would have to wait until after they were back home. Neither of them allowed themselves to think about the fact that not everything that happened in that bed was an act.

"So, Jackson, would you like to explain what's up with these people?" Cameron asked.

"Um, I can't really be sure. What's going on now seems to indicate that sex plays a very important role in their society, and not just for the purpose of procreation. Some cultures in Earth's history included sex as a part of certain celebrations or rituals."

"So, this is some kind of sex ritual."

"That would be my first guess."

When Vala was returned an hour later, Daniel had to admit that she was doing a good job of pretending that she was under the influence of the fruit. The sway of her hips was more pronounced, and there was a heightened air of sensuality about her.

Daniel, Teal'c and Cameron were told to get to their feet.

"Make your choice," Tafrea said to Vala.

"You want her to choose between all three of us?" Cameron asked. "Don't you think that—"

"Silence!" the gray-haired woman snapped.

Cameron stared at her, then shrugged.

The newest member of SG-1 sashayed up to the three men, pretty much undressing them with her eyes. "Mmm. Choices, choices." She looked over her shoulder at Tafrea. "Couldn't I have more than one?"

"I am sorry, but you are allowed only one."

Vala pouted. "Too bad." Her eyes scanned the bodies of the men again, making sounds of appreciation. She then went to Daniel, who was silently saying over and over again, _'Don't pick me. Don't pick me.' _

One of Vala's fingers ran across Daniel's lips, down his throat and continued down his body to just above his groin. She leaned in and murmured. "You know how curious I've been all this time about how good you are in bed, Daniel. I bet those hands of yours are very talented. Samantha apparently appreciated their skills."

_'Oh, God. This is not happening,'_ Daniel moaned soundlessly.

Vala took a step back. "However. . . ." She then very unexpectedly grabbed Cameron's collar with both hands and fairly dragged him out the door. An outcry of surprise was jerked from the man's throat.

Daniel was so relieved he nearly collapsed. He sat back down rather heavily. Sam was relieved, too. For some reason, the idea of Daniel being with Vala, even if they were just faking it all, really bothered her, way more than it should have.

Unable to sit still, Daniel got to his feet. He went to the open door.

"Um, excuse me. Could I go outside?" he asked the women stationed there. "I need some fresh air. I won't cause any trouble."

The women looked at each other, then back to Daniel.

"You may go outside, but only one of you. If you attempt to escape or harm someone, you and your male companions will be punished."

"Thank you."

Daniel exited the building and began wandering around under the watchful eye of several women. As he did, he noticed something interesting. He saw several of the men gazing at women with lustful expressions, but none of the women seemed to have any interest in the men at all, virtually ignoring them, with the exception of those who were clearly acting as some kind of security force. Daniel was a bit puzzled by this, considering what was going on with Sam and Vala. Granted, because of the situation with inbreeding and bloodlines, sex merely for pleasure was probably forbidden, but that wouldn't prevent the natural desire between male and female.

At that moment, he saw a very attractive and well-built man brush a hand down a woman's arm. She reacted with obvious disgust, striking his hand away. Two armed women came forward, forcing the man to back away.

Deciding that he needed to learn a bit more about the culture, Daniel approached a man, figuring it would be safer than talking to a woman.

"Hello. I was wondering if you could answer a few questions."

Clearly a little leery of him, the man nodded his head.

"The women here don't seem to be very interested in the men. Why is that?"

"Only when a woman partakes of the Shetai fruit does she desire men."

"Really? That's interesting. Has it always been like that?"

"I do not know. It has been that way for as long as I remember. The women who raised me told me it is the way of things."

"The women who raised you? Where was that? Where are all the children?"

The man pointed at the fence line. "They are in the part of the village that is for children, the women who are with child, and those who can no longer bear children."

"Thanks."

Daniel returned to the others and told them what he'd learned.

"Apparently, children, pregnant women and older women are kept separate from what goes on here," he said, "which makes a certain amount of sense if this part of the village is basically a mating area. It also appears that children are raised communally, not just by their mothers. Probably, once a baby is weaned, the mother is brought back out here. In some ways, that might be a good thing. Then the mothers wouldn't have to watch their sons sicken and die."

"You know, we might have been able to help these people," Sam remarked. "It's possible that Caroline could have figured out what causes the male children to die and find a solution. I even mentioned that to Tafrea, but I guess she wasn't interested."

"It may be that these women would not wish for things to change," Teal'c stated. "If the population of males greatly increased, it is likely that they would eventually seek to gain dominance over the women."

"You could be right about that."

When Cameron and Vala were brought back, they were both looking a bit dazed. There was also a very satisfied smile on Vala's lips.

Daniel and Sam exchanged a look.

"You think they really did it?" Sam whispered.

"I don't know, but, if they did, it'll be very interesting to hear what they're going to tell Landry."

"Well, that was quite stimulating," Vala said, grinning. "I wonder if they'd let us take some of that fruit home."

Tafrea came in. She looked at the men. "You must rest and recuperate now. There are many other women who will mate with you before you leave."

"W-what?" Daniel stammered.

"Now, hold on there," Cameron objected. "You didn't say anything about us having to do this with other women."

Tafrea looked at Sam and Vala. "Since you will not agree to give us males in trade, we decided that we must use your males now to father as many children as possible. It is possible that their blood and yours will strengthen our bloodlines, and less of our own males will die during Fashta."

"What?" yelled more than one voice.

"Excuse me, but what do you mean when you say their blood and ours?" Vala asked. She laughed a little nervously. "Surely you don't mean that you want us to get pregnant, too."

"Yes, that is the reason you were given the Shetai fruit, so that you would mate and, hopefully, bear children. If it is determined that either of you is with child, that woman will stay here until the baby is born. Then she may leave, and we will keep the child."

"But you said that we could all leave," Sam said.

"If I had told you that you may not all be allowed to leave, I believed that these men of yours would cause trouble. They are very disrespectful of the authority of women. Our warriors could have subdued them, but some may have been harmed."

"Okay, this has gone far enough," Cameron said angrily. "Obviously, things are done differently around here, but, where we come from, people aren't treated like breeding stock. I'm not some prize stud to be taken from stall to stall to service all the mares."

Anger flared in Tafrea's eyes. She drew her dagger and put it to Cameron's throat. Teal'c stepped forward but was stopped when the other native women in the room drew their weapons.

"You will speak no more or I will kill you," Tafrea told him angrily. "It will be a shame to lose your bloodline, but I will not permit any more disrespect from a male."

For several seconds, the air was high with tension as Cameron and Tafrea glared at each other. The tension was broken by the sound of General Landry's voice over SG-1's radios.

"Who speaks?" Tafrea demanded to know.

"That's General Landry," Sam replied. "He is a man of importance in our society."

"SG-1, come in," Landry's voice repeated.

"If we don't answer him, an army will be sent through to find and rescue us."

Tafrea appeared to consider it. "Very well, but, if you ask for aid, I will slit this one's throat."

Sam got on her radio. "This is Colonel Carter. We've . . . run into a bit of a situation here."

"Do you need backup?"

Cameron flinched as the blade bit into the skin of his neck.

Sam thought frantically. "Um, no, that won't be necessary. Wendaris, General."

Landry paused for a couple of seconds. "Understood, Colonel. Landry out."

"What is the meaning of Wendaris?" Tafrea asked suspiciously.

"It means that everything is fine," Sam replied.

The woman studied Sam narrowly for several seconds, then lowered the blade from Cameron's throat. His fingers went to the small cut over his jugular.

Tafrea stepped back, sheathing the knife. "When these males are sufficiently rested, the choosing will resume." She turned to Teal'c. "You need no resting time, but we will wait until all three of you are ready so that the women can choose amongst you."

"I must tell you that I am not human," Teal'c stated. "I am a Jaffa. If your goal is to produce offspring, I may be of no use to you. Even if a human female could conceive with me, the child would be half-Jaffa and may not live beyond the age of Prata without Tretonin."

"He means Fashta," Daniel explained, "and he's talking about both male and female children."

Tafrea stared at Teal'c. "It could be that you are lying."

"He's not," Sam said. "We don't know of any successful breeding between a Jaffa and a human."

The woman kept staring at the Jaffa. "Very well. Though it is possible that you are lying, I would not wish for one of us to mate with a man who could not give her a child. You will be excluded from the choosing."

"Uh, I suppose you wouldn't buy it if I said that Jackson and I are both sterile," Cameron said.

Ignoring him, Tafrea and the other women left the room.

"Yeah, that's what I figured you'd say."

The members of SG-1 moved as far away from the open door as possible and gathered close together.

"Okay, what's Wendaris?" Vala whispered.

"The name of a planet where SG-3 got into a bit of trouble last year," Cameron replied, holding a handkerchief to his wound. "The SGC couldn't use any of the usual methods of extraction, so they came up with another plan."

"A UAV was launched through the gate carrying canisters of a gas that safely renders anyone breathing it unconscious," Sam explained. "The canisters were dropped in the area where SG-3's locators pinpointed them to be. Once the whole area was inundated with gas, two teams were sent through wearing gas masks, preceded by a shock grenade to take care of the people guarding the gate."

"They extracted SG-3 pretty as you please and got the hell out of there. Of course, Reynolds and his team weren't conscious when the extraction took place."

"So, all we have to do is wait for them to send the UAV through," Daniel said, "and then we'll take a little nap. When we wake up, we'll be in the infirmary."

"And how long is this going to take?" Vala asked. "I don't know how long these women think you fine examples of male virility are going to need to . . ." she grinned, "reload."

"I'd say that all depends on how much they know about male physiology," Sam replied.

"This culture appears to be relatively primitive," Daniel said. "In early times, people didn't understand that it takes a certain amount of time for sperm count to build back up."

Cameron spoke up. "Well, judging by the fact that they included you in Vala's," he made air quotes, "choosing, I'd say they don't know that. In fact, considering it had only been an hour, they shouldn't even have expected you to be able to—"

"Cam!" Sam exclaimed, knowing what he had been about to say.

The pilot shrugged. "Well, he is over forty, after all."

That earned him an icy glare from the archeologist.

Sam decided that departing from the topic would be a very good idea. "It won't take long to prepare the UAV for launch, less than an hour, I'd say. All the special equipment and fittings were saved from the last time."

Cameron nodded. "So, we should be okay."

Unfortunately, such was not the case. It had been well under an hour when three women came in.

"It is time for another choosing," one of them said.

Cameron looked at his watch. "Isn't this kind of wishful thinking on your part? Maybe you ladies don't quite understand—"

"You will come with us now," one of the women interrupted sternly.

Daniel, Sam, Cameron and Vala were taken outside, Teal'c having been told to remain inside. A young woman was standing beside Tafrea, and it was clear from the look in her eyes that she was under the influence of the Shetai fruit.

Knowing that they needed to stall as long as possible, Cameron took a chance and spoke up. "Um, excuse me. I know you don't want to listen to me, but don't you think you should give us guys a bit more time to recover from being with these ladies?" He gestured at Sam and Vala.

Tafrea frowned. "You require more time? We had hoped that you would be the same as this other male. I have been told that he recovers very quickly."

Vala grinned from ear to ear, her eyes latching onto Daniel. "Oh, _really_."

Daniel groaned, wanting to sink into the ground. Please, please, _please_ let this end soon.

He got his wish when they all heard the distant buzz of a UAV's engines. Everyone's eyes went to the sky. The little aircraft soon appeared. Apparently never having seen a flying craft before, the people around them reacted with varying degrees of fear. A few even aimed their bows at it.

As soon as it got over the village, the UAV began dropping its payload. Gas canisters starting exploding all around, causing panic. And then came the coughing as the gas filled everyone's lungs. Knowing what was going to happen, SG-1 got down on their knees, watching as people around them collapsed to the ground. Then the dizziness hit them. Seconds later, the blackness of unconsciousness descended.

* * *

Daniel's eyes blinked open to the sight of the infirmary ceiling.

"Welcome back."

The archeologist turned to look at Doctor Lam. "How long have I been out?"

"A little over an hour and a half, which is normal. Teal'c, of course, woke up sooner."

Daniel lifted his head and looked around. Teal'c was standing a few feet way. Sam, Cameron and Vala were all in beds, appearing to still be unconscious.

Daniel attempted to sit up, but was hit by a wave of dizziness.

"Whoa," Caroline said. "Not so fast. It's going to take a few more minutes for the effects of the gas to completely wear off."

"I'm a little nauseous."

"Also normal. It will go away soon."

The doctor raised the head of Daniel's bed. As she was doing that, Sam started waking up. Caroline went over to her, cautioning her to lie still.

"Did they get everyone out?" the astrophysicist asked.

"Yes, everyone is here."

"Hey, Sam," Daniel called.

She turned her head toward him. "Daniel? Wow, we got out just in the nick of time, didn't we."

"Yep."

"Now that some of you are conscious, I can ask my questions," Caroline said. "Do I need to run any kinds of tests on you?"

Sam made a face. "Yes, you probably do, on me and Vala."

"Does it have anything to do with this?" The doctor held up a piece of fruit within a sample bag.

"Where did you get that?"

"It was in Vala's pocket."

"She must have pocketed a piece when they gave the fruit to her," Daniel guessed.

"I've run some preliminary tests on it and found some pretty interesting things," Caroline said.

Sam sighed. "Yes, I bet you did."

The doctor looked at her. "Would you like to tell me about it?"

Cameron and Vala both woke up just then. They were suffering the same dizziness and nausea, but were otherwise fine.

"Where's Teal'c," the Air Force pilot asked.

"He woke up quite some time ago and has been released," Caroline replied. "So, would you like to tell me what happened now? Teal'c wouldn't tell me."

"No, no really," Sam replied. "We're already going to have to suffer through telling General Landry. Couldn't he, um, fill you in?"

At that moment, Landry walked in.

"How are they doing, Doctor?" he asked Caroline.

"Fine, sir. They should all be up on their feet very soon."

"Good." He turned to SG-1. "I'm betting that you have quite an interesting tale to tell."

"You have no idea, General," Cameron responded.

"I'll look forward to hearing it. Debriefing's in one hour." Landry turned around and left the ward.

Caroline looked at the faces of the five members of SG-1. The expression on the four humans told her that this was a very long story that promised to raise lots of eyebrows.

"All right, I can find out about it later. I just need to know one thing right now." She lifted the bag containing the piece of fruit. "What is this?"

"A really good time that grows on trees," Vala replied with a grin.

"Excuse me?"

"It's an aphrodisiac," Sam clarified. "A very powerful one."

Caroline eyebrows rose. "I see."

Blood and urine samples were taken from Sam and Vala. Then the four human members of SG-1 were released.

They went to the locker rooms and took showers. On their way out of the separate rooms for men and women, Sam and Daniel nearly bumped into each other.

"Sorry," they both said. They stood there in silence for a few seconds.

Daniel was the first to speak again. "Um . . . Sam, about . . . you know. I'm sorry if I—"

"No," Sam interrupted, having a feeling that she knew what he was going to say. "It was both of us, Daniel. Maybe the fruit did have an affect on me after all. It was just delayed."

"Which gives _you_ an excuse, but not me."

"It's okay, Daniel. I mean, it's not like it went very far. We're fine."

Daniel's eyes searched hers. "Are we?"

She smiled, laying a hand on his arm. "Yes, Daniel, we are."

A short while later, the five members of SG-1 were sitting in the briefing room. They began recounting events from the beginning. Daniel took over by explaining about the mortality rate of male children and the roles of men and women in the society.

"I'm guessing that it wasn't always like that," he said. "Somewhere in their distant history, something happened to cause the male children to start dying during puberty. As the male population declined, women began taking over control. They came to realize that some changes would have to be made to assure the survival of their people, and what we saw was the ultimate result."

"Men are definitely lower class citizens there," Cameron said. "In fact, it looks like men have no say whatsoever in the way things are done." He briefly touched the bandage that covered the cut on his neck.

Landry nodded. "Go on."

"They wanted to do some tradin', General, and Jackson, Teal'c and I were what they wanted to trade for, in exchange for some of their own men."

"Needless to say, we refused the offer," Daniel said. He told Landry about the team being taken to a place to wait, then Sam being asked to join Tafrea.

Sam took over from him, mentioning the woman's offer of trading other things for men. "A tray of water and something she called Shetai fruit was brought out, and she offered some to me."

"I hope you were smart enough not to eat any, Colonel."

Sam's gave him a sheepish look. "I did refuse, sir, but Tafrea was hinting that it would show disrespect for their customs if I didn't eat any. She started eating some, so I figured it was safe, and I didn't want to insult them and cause trouble. If an incident had started, there's no way that we'd have made it back to the gate."

"I don't know about Samantha, but, once _I_ got a taste, I definitely wanted more," Vala said.

Landry looked at her. "You ate some, too?"

"That was later, sir," Sam replied. "You see, what I didn't know at the time was that the fruit is a powerful aphrodisiac."

Landry stared at her, his eyebrows lifting.

"Apparently, the women have no sexual desire for men unless they eat the fruit," Daniel told the general. "It's their way of assuring procreation and making it a pleasurable experience for women."

"I'm not liking the direction this is taking, SG-1," Landry said.

Sam grimaced in discomfort. "No, sir, and I'm afraid it gets worse."

"They wanted Samantha and me to make babies!" Vala blurted, grinning.

"And guess who were to be the lucky papas," Cameron said.

Landry lowered his head into his hands. "I really don't want to hear this." He sighed and raised his head. "Hit me with it."

Daniel took up the narrative. "You see, when we refused to give them new males, they decided that they were going to take advantage of the fact that we were there and breed us with as many women as they could so that we'd add to the diversity of their bloodlines. They also intended to get Sam and Vala pregnant, then keep the babies after they were born."

"But we didn't know any of this at the time," Cameron explained. "We were led to believe that all we had to do was have a little SG-1 lovin', then we could all go home. We thought it was just some weird alien sex ritual or something."

Sam explained how, after she ate the fruit, she was told to pick a man with whom to mate, whether a member of SG-1 or one of the other males in the village.

"And you couldn't just say no?" Landry questioned.

"Well, sir, the Shetai fruit apparently makes a woman so . . . turned on that she has a craving for sex that she can't ignore," Sam explained, thinking that, in all the years she'd been on SG-1, this was, without a doubt, the most excruciatingly embarrassing debriefing she'd ever had. "After she's eaten one, she's allowed to choose what man to mate with. Thankfully, I wasn't affected by it."

"You weren't?" Cameron and Vala exclaimed simultaneously.

"What about all those noises we heard you and Jackson making?" the pilot asked.

"We were faking it," Daniel and Sam said in unison. They turned to Landry.

"I figured it might not be a good thing if they knew that I was unaffected," Sam said, "so I pretended to be. I chose Daniel, and we put on an act. Fortunately, we weren't being watched, just listened in on."

"Soooo . . . you two didn't, uh, do anything at all?" Cameron asked. He looked like he desperately wanted to hide somewhere.

Sam's eyes widened. "Oh my God! You _did_ actually do it!"

"Permission to disappear under the table now, sir," Cameron requested from the general.

"Permission denied. Talk."

"Well, I had a nice little chat with the woman in charge," Vala said. "Then she gave me the fruit, and, oh my." She fanned herself. "I would highly recommend it for all orgies, General."

"But I thought that the reason why I wasn't affected was because I used to be a host," Sam said, wrapping her mind around the fact that Cameron and Vala actually had sex.

"Apparently not." Vala looked at her three male teammates. "Like Samantha, I was allowed to choose which of these fine specimens I'd have a good time with. I was oh so very tempted to pick Daniel, but, since I thought he might still be recovering from being with Samantha," she faced her other human male teammate, "I chose Cameron. I have to say that I wasn't disappointed."

Daniel was now busy thinking about how close he came to having to have sex with Vala. He looked at the man who _did_ have sex with her. Cameron appeared to be contemplating an attempt to merge his atoms with the chair and vanish forever.

"Colonel?" Landry said to him in a tone of voice that promised a whole lot of future woes for the Air Force pilot.

"I, uhhhh . . . well, you see, I. . . ." Cameron sighed. "Yes, sir, we had sex."

"I'd already determined that, Colonel Mitchell. What I'd like to know is why? I'd dearly love for you to tell me that you ate some of the fruit, too, and couldn't help yourself."

"Wish I could, sir. You have no idea how much I wish that."

"Well, then?"

Sam stepped in to rescue Cameron. "Sir, when I picked Daniel, he was told that, if he failed to . . . please me, he, Colonel Mitchell and Teal'c would all suffer the consequences. In other words, men aren't allowed to say no. If Colonel Mitchell had refused Vala's advances, they might all be dead or, at the very least, severely injured."

Cameron mouthed the words "Thank you" to Sam.

Landry stared at the pilot for a very long time, then he turned to Teal'c. "And did you potentially father any children as well?"

"I did not."

"Thank God for small favors." Landry looked at the others. "Proceed."

Sam continued the narrative. "After Vala and Colonel Mitchell, uh, returned, we were all left alone so that Daniel and Colonel Mitchell could. . . ."

"Recharge their equipment," Vala interjected saucily, which resulted in glares from the two men about whom she was referring.

"That's when we found out that we were expected to mate with other women as well," Daniel said, "and that the reason for what went on before was to get Sam and Vala pregnant."

"I objected, which is how I got this." Cameron pointed at the wound.

"That's when you radioed us, sir," Sam said. "Tafrea had the knife to Colonel Mitchell's throat, so I couldn't openly request help. I also knew that if a few SG teams came through the gate on a rescue mission, there could be casualties. I thought of the incident on Wendaris and figured it was the best option."

Landry was silent for several seconds. He then glared at all of them. "Well, SG-1, I must congratulate you. You have, without a doubt, succeeded in creating one of the most royally _screwed_ missions in the history of the Stargate Program. Pun intended."

"Yes, sir," Daniel, Sam and Cameron all mumbled.

"Explaining this one to my superiors is going to be one of the defining moments of my career. I can already hear Jack laughing his ass off."

"Oh, God," Sam whispered, covering her face. She'd forgotten that Jack would be told. She furtively glanced at Daniel and saw that he'd sunk several inches in his chair, his face the picture of a man who knew that he'd soon be descending into hell.

"I expect your written reports of this fiasco on my desk before I leave today," Landry said. "Dismissed."

SG-1 slunk out of the briefing room, well, all except for Teal'c, that is, who had no reason to slink. They went to Daniel's office.

"We are so screwed," Cameron said miserably.

A smiling Vala ran her fingers up his arm. "We already did that, darling."

The lieutenant colonel batted her hand away. "Will you stop that?"

Vala pouted. "Why, Cameron. You're going to make me believe that you didn't enjoy our time together." The pout became a sultry smile. "You certainly seemed to be enjoying it at the time."

Cameron wheeled about with an angry glare, his finger pointing straight up a few inches from Vala's face. "Stop. Right now. If you say one more word about this, one single word, to _anyone_, I will personally boot you through the nearest Stargate connected to a black hole. You got it?"

Vala sighed. "Fine. If you want to be that way about it." She turned to Daniel and Sam. "Were you really telling the truth about faking it? I think you actually did it and just don't want to admit it." She grinned brightly. "Come on. Fess up. We won't tell."

Daniel stared at her for a long moment, then turned to Cameron. "I can give you the address for the gate."

"Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter would not have stated falsehoods in the debriefing," Teal'c declared.

"Thank you," both Sam and Daniel said.

Cameron looked at them sourly. "Which means that, when this gets around base, while you two will just be teased about having to pretend you were having sex, Vala and I will be given the prestigious title of being the first two SG teammates to get high on alien fruit and bang each other's brains out. Correction. _Vala_ got high. I just got stupid." He rose to his feet. "I'm going to go hit something in the gym . . . repeatedly."

"Yeah . . . me too," Daniel said, also rising.

"I have no need to release my anger upon an inanimate object," Teal'c stated.

"Lucky you," Cameron muttered before departing, followed by Daniel. 


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

The two men went to the locker room to change, then hit the gym. As Cameron beat up a defenseless punching bag, Daniel lifted weights. Neither of them said a word about the mission since there were several other people also in the gym.

After about an hour of working out, they returned to the locker room and showered. As they dressed, Daniel glanced at Cameron, then looked about, confirming that there was no one else in the room.

"I've been wondering about something," he said. "Why did you and Vala take it all the way? I mean, you knew that all you had to do was make her . . . climax, then the effects of the fruit would have dissipated."

Cameron scrubbed his face with his hands. "I don't know. That's what I was intending to do. I don't know what happened. She was naked and crawling all over me, nearly ripping my clothes off and doing a whole lot of touching. It started really getting to me. I am a man, after all. But I tried to stay focused on what I was supposed to do. And then, suddenly, I just . . . lost control. It was like my mind fogged over with this overwhelming desire, and I couldn't stop myself."

Daniel frowned, staring down at the shoe in his hands.

Cameron looked at him. "Is there something you and Sam aren't telling us?"

"Uh . . . after we got through with pretending, Sam and I figured that they'd expect us to be in physical contact when they came in to get us, so we held each other. We were both in our underwear so that it would look like we were naked. I, um, started feeling some . . . things. Then it suddenly hit me full force. It was just like you described. I guess it must have been the same for Sam."

Cameron stared at him. "Jackson, did you and Sam—"

"No," Daniel quickly denied. "But, if we hadn't been interrupted, I think we would have. I sure wanted to."

"Whoa. This sounds to me like not just women are affected by that fruit."

"I hope you're right. Um, about you and Vala. Is this going to cause a problem?"

The pilot sighed. "You mean personally or professionally?"

"Both."

"Professionally, you bet it will. We were on a mission, and I had sex with a teammate. That's inappropriate behavior with big, bold capital letters. Considering the circumstances, charges probably won't be filed, but I'm sure I'll get an official reprimand. It will go on my record. The only thing that'll save me from that is if it turns out I was affected by the fruit, too. Then I might be okay, at least officially. Unofficially, I am so not looking forward to what people on base are going to say and think."

"And personally?"

"Well, it's not like it was a bad experience. Like I said, I am a man, and Vala is a very attractive woman, and if this had happened under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be feeling like this. But this was about the worst possible way it could happen, ten times worse than getting drunk and waking up in bed with each other. And I'm mad at myself for not being able to stay in control and do only what I should have."

At that moment, there was a call over the P.A. for SG-1 to come to the infirmary. The men quickly finished dressing and headed over there. Sam, Teal'c and Vala were already there when they arrived.

"First of all, General Landry filled me in on what happened," Caroline said. "I did a whole battery of tests not only on the fruit but also on Sam's and Vala's blood and urine samples. And, yes, that fruit is a very powerful aphrodisiac to the person who ingests it, but that's not all. I discovered something else, a chemical that I strongly suspect would act as a kind of super-powered sex pheromone. I'm guessing that the highest concentration of it would be present in bodily fluids, like sweat and, possibly, saliva." She focused her gaze on Cameron. "Did you experience any unusual levels of sexual arousal during your experience with Vala?"

"Oh, boy, did I ever," he replied, incredibly relieved that there was a good reason why he lost control.

Caroline nodded. "I also determined something else from Sam's test results. I believe that her resistence to what's in the fruit may have been because she's on birth control. The fruit does not work exactly the same way that aphrodisiacs we have here on Earth do. You see, things like birth control pills and patches trick the body into thinking it's pregnant. If this fruit is nature's way of encouraging procreation, it might not work on pregnant females."

"You know, there is something I've been wondering about," Sam said. "Tafrea ate some of the fruit, too, but she didn't appear to be affected. But she couldn't have been pregnant. She was too old."

"How old?"

"Maybe in her early sixties."

"Which would mean that she was post-menopausal and could no longer bear children. That adds weight to my suspicions about the aphrodisiac. I'm going to need to do more comprehensive tests."

Cameron had been silently panicking for the last couple of minutes. He finally spoke. "Doc, are you saying that Vala isn't on birth control?"

Vala ran her hand up and down his arm. "I hope you like children, darling."

"Oh, lord. Please, please tell me she's joking."

"She's joking," Caroline said. "Vala had an IUD inserted a few months ago. Since an IUD works by preventing sperm from entering the uterus rather than using synthetic hormones to prevent conception, it had no effect on the chemicals within the fruit."

"Which is why I was affected, but Samantha wasn't," Vala said.

Caroline turned to Daniel and Sam. "Actually, Sam probably wouldn't have been completely immune to the effects of the fruit, and I did detect traces of that pheromone-like chemical in her bloodstream."

"Ah hah," Vala said, smiling. "I _knew_ I was right. You two _did_ do the crazy thing."

"That's 'wild thing'," Daniel corrected, "and, no, we didn't, although we were . . . affected."

"Yes, you could definitely say that," Sam murmured.

The former host of Qetesh grinned with glee. "So, what did you do? I'm betting some serious making out. Am I right?"

"Sam and I will be taking that information with us to the grave, Vala," Daniel replied.

Vala looked back and forth between their identically stony expressions. "Well, you're no fun at all."

"Everything is mostly out of both of your systems," Caroline said to the women. "There are still some traces, but not enough to have a significant influence on your behavior, no more than eating oysters or some other mildly aphrodisiacal food. I'd say that, by tomorrow, your bodies will be completely free of it." She turned her attention fully on Cameron and Vala. "It's a good thing that we conduct regular tests for the presence of STDs. You did participate in unprotected sex."

"What are STDs?" Vala asked.

"Sexually transmitted diseases."

"Ah, yes. Those are not pleasant. I once knew a woman who contracted this truly dreadful disease after a little dalliance with—"

"Vala?" Daniel interrupted.

The woman smiled at him. "Yes, Daniel?"

"Shut up," he, Sam and Cameron all said at the same time.

"Oh, one more thing," Caroline said. "Though I would have liked to find out what causes the majority of male children to die during puberty on that planet, the general and I have agreed that it would be far too dangerous to send anyone back there, for obvious reasons. I have a few guesses, one being that something in the environment has an effect on testosterone, perhaps altering its composition into something that's toxic to the body. But, without tests, there is no way to confirm anything, so I'm afraid it will have to remain a mystery."

Everyone went off to write their reports, except for Vala, that is, who followed Sam to her lab.

"Okay, now that it's just us girls, tell me all about it," the dark-haired woman said, taking a seat and gazing at Sam with an expression of intense interest. "Even if you didn't have sex, I'm betting things got pretty hot. So, how is Daniel in bed? Is he as passionate as I've always suspected? I have to tell you that Cameron is quite a tiger. I guess what I've heard about those flyboys is true."

"We are not talking about this, Vala," Sam stated with a touch of anger. "Daniel and Cam are our teammates. You should show them respect."

Vala grinned. "Oh, I have even more respect for Cameron than I did before."

Sam sighed in frustration and irritation. She really understood now why Vala had driven Daniel crazy while the two of them were forced to remain near each other because of those Goa'uld bracelets. Daniel had confessed to Sam on the phone how miserable he was having to constantly deal with the woman, even admitting that she kept coming onto him no matter how much he discouraged her. Since Vala's return from the Ori galaxy, Sam hadn't seen her acting that way toward Daniel very much. Perhaps it was because she was married, even if, for her, it had been a marriage of 'convenience'. But Tomin was now dead, having died saving Vala from the Ori's forces, betraying the beings he worshiped out of love for a woman who probably didn't love him in return. Or had Vala loved Tomin, and the way she was acting now was her way of burying the pain of losing him? Sam had her doubts about that. Vala was just being Vala, plain and simple.

"Don't you have a report to write?" Sam asked, glaring at the woman.

Vala smiled brightly. "Why, yes, I do." She popped to her feet. "This is going to be a fun one to write." She fairly skipped out of the lab.

Sam let out a sigh. "I feel so sorry for Cam."

* * *

For Daniel, Sam and Cameron, writing their reports was anything but easy as they struggled to put in as few details about certain events as they could get away with, as well as keeping their reports impersonal and professional.

Cameron made sure he saw Vala's report before she got it to Landry and promptly made her do a rewrite . . . twice. There was a definite pout on the woman's face during the second rewrite. Cameron decided that it would be a good time for them to talk about the whole thing.

"Okay, look, Vala. It's not that I didn't enjoy what happened, but this whole thing has caused a real mess. We're teammates, and, technically, I'm your superior, and we're supposed to maintain a certain level of professionalism, and this totally trashed all of that. Then, too, are the rules about this sort of thing and the damage it could have done to my career if it had turned out that there was no good reason for me to let it happen. On top of that is the fact that the whole base is going to know we had sex, which is really not gonna make it a fun place to be." He met her eyes. "I just don't want you to think that I'm disgusted because of you personally."

Vala smiled. "I know, Cameron. And you're right. I'd rather have had sex with you in a nice romantic setting after a lovely dinner and perhaps some dancing or a movie . . . and with both of us willing and fully in control of what we were doing."

"Then you understand why I was so mad."

"Yes, of course I do. I mean, you couldn't possibly find me disgusting, Cameron. I'm far too attractive, not to mention fantastic in bed, as you found out for yourself."

Cameron saw the twinkle in her eyes. Okay, so this kind of teasing he could take. "All right. So, no more of those comments? They just make the situation worse."

"No more comments." She crossed her finger over her chest. "Cross my heart." She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "However, I want you to know that, if you ever decide that you'd like to have that romantic dinner, movie and some mutually consensual sex with no drugs or alien fruit involved, I will be more than happy to oblige."

Cameron couldn't help but smile. "I will definitely remember that for the day when we're no longer teammates, Vala."

* * *

Landry had been right about Jack's reaction when he was told that evening about what happened.

"You know, I hate to say it, but this doesn't really surprise me," the head of Homeworld Security said. "Given the SGC's history of weird diseases, drugs, and alien experiences, something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. How fitting that it should happen to SG-1. So, what are you going to do about Mitchell and Vala."

"Oh, I thought I'd make them suffer a while longer, then let them off the hook. According to Caroline, they really didn't have much control over their actions. That aphrodisiac and the pheromone-like chemical were apparently pretty potent."

"And Daniel and Carter?"

"I've decided to give them a break. After all, they didn't actually have sex, and they did do a good job of pulling the wool over everyone's eyes. I do have to wonder exactly what happened after their 'performance', though. Their report was distinctly lacking in details."

* * *

By late morning, half the base knew about what happened and was quickly passing on the news to the other half. Cameron's prediction turned out to be pretty accurate. Daniel and Sam did receive their fair share of teasing and remarks made behind their backs, but the real targets were Cameron and Vala. For Cameron, there were veiled – and not so veiled – comments, jokes, head shakes, pats on the back from more than one man, frowns from several women, and a whole lot of snickering and whispered remarks between people. Vala didn't get any pats on the back, but she did get all the rest, plus a couple of women asking how good Cameron was in the sack. While many understood that the two had been under the influence of alien chemicals, a few clearly thought that they could have fought it and maintained their professionalism.

As for Daniel and Sam, the teasing and remarks were not all that they had to deal with, for they were both having a very hard time getting past what happened between them. Daniel kept remembering how Sam's body felt beneath him, the taste of her mouth, the smell of her skin, the softness of her breast in his hand. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get it out of his mind, and it was driving him crazy. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't stop himself from fantasizing about being with her, to finish what they'd started on that day.

As for Sam, she was having the same trouble. She couldn't stop thinking of Daniel's pleasant weight on top of her, his tongue in her mouth, his large hands gliding over her body. It was driving her to distraction, causing her to make repeated mistakes in her work. She tried to think of anything and everything else, but to no avail. Up until that day, though she had recognized Daniel as a very attractive man, there had been no desire. Now, she couldn't stop wondering what it would be like to make love with him.

The following afternoon, all of SG-1 were called to the briefing room. Daniel got there first to find Jack sitting at the head of the table.

_'Why am I not surprised?'_ he asked himself. "Jack."

"Daniel."

"Couldn't stay away, could you."

"What, and miss being a part of this?"

The other four members of SG-1 came in. Sam froze for a second upon seeing Jack, then took her seat, avoiding looking at him.

Landry came out of his office, but, instead of sitting at the table, he leaned against the doorjamb, apparently intending just to be a spectator.

"Hello, boys and girls," Jack greeted. He made a point of looking through a file before him. "My, my, my. You sure have been busy bees, haven't you. I think I might have the pages of this report framed for posterity." He looked up at them. "So, children, what valuable lessons did we learn from this?"

"Lesson Number One: don't eat the alien fruit," Cameron replied.

"Yes, that's right up there with don't eat the alien pastry given especially to you by a pretty girl," Daniel commented.

"Alien pastry?" Vala queried with a smile. "That sounds interesting. Did that happen to one of you?"

The eyes of every one of her teammates went to Jack.

"We're not here to discuss me," he said, not amused. "At least I didn't get involved in an SG-1 orgy."

"Is not an orgy a sexual encounter involving many people in a single location, O'Neill?" Teal'c inquired.

Jack glared at the Jaffa, knowing that Teal'c was very well aware of what an orgy was. "All right, so it wasn't an orgy per se," he admitted, wondering how he'd lost control of this meeting so quickly. "The point is that there was teammate sex and making out going on. Now, Lesson Number Two."

Vala held up her hand. "Oh! I know. If you do eat the alien fruit . . . or pastry and have an irresistible urge to make like a bunny, do it with someone other than a teammate."

"Not exactly what I had in mind," Jack responded. "I was thinking more along the lines of going off someplace by yourself and taking matters into your own hands, if you all catch my drift."

"Sir, that wouldn't have been possible under the circumstances," Sam said.

"Then let us all hope and pray that you're never in those circumstances again, Carter."

"Is there a Lesson Number Three?" Vala asked.

"Yeah, I've got one," Cameron replied. "If something like this ever happens, keep your mouth shut and don't tell a damn soul about it."

Jack's expression turned thoughtful. "You know, I like that one. It would definitely have prevented all kinds of problems. Instead of being on a flight back to D.C. tonight, I'd be at home watching a game and sipping on a nice cold one." He looked around the table. "Lesson Number Four anyone?"

"Yes," Daniel replied. "If keeping your mouth shut is not an option, before you tell anyone, find the person responsible for putting stuff like this on the base grapevine and arrange for them to spend a very long vacation off-world."

Jack nodded. "I like that one, too. Number Five?"

"Yeah, in case of a situation like this, invent some horrible sexually transmitted disease to scare everyone off with," Sam muttered.

"Ooh. Good one, Carter."

"Or say you're a Jaffa," Cameron added.

"That might work, too. Any more?" Jack looked around at everyone. "No? Well, then I guess class is out, kids. I hope you keep all these valuable lessons firmly in mind." Jack got to his feet, followed by the others.

SG-1 split up and went their separate ways, Daniel going to his office. He knew it was only a matter of time before he got a certain visitor. It took fifteen minutes.

Jack walked into the room. "You know, Daniel, I find the whole idea of you and Carter having a rip-roaring round of faked sex quite surreal. It's added a whole new facet to my image of you. Now, I could almost picture Carter doing something like that, if she had no other choice. But you? Nope, wouldn't have imagined that in a million years."

"Well, Jack, it wasn't exactly something I ever pictured myself doing either."

"I hear that you were both quite . . . vocal."

Daniel groaned inwardly. _'Shut up, Jack, **please**,'_ he begged voicelessly. Of course, Jack didn't.

"So, was it audio only or was there some video as well?" the man asked.

"Pretty much all just audio, except for bouncing on the bed to make it creak."

"Really? Bummer. That wouldn't have been half as much fun."

"Any more fun, and they'd have heard us laughing hysterically."

"Well, as long as you guys had fun."

"Oh, a barrel of laughs."

Jack crossed his arms and leaned against the edge of the counter. "So, you gonna tell me what you and Carter did after you finished with your little porn radio performance?"

"No."

"I could order you to tell me."

"No, you can't."

"Yeah, you're right. I could order _Carter_ to tell me."

"Yes, if you want to put your life at risk."

"There is that." Jack studied the archeologist. "Look, Daniel. All joking aside, I should imagine that this is making you and Carter a little uncomfortable around each other." Daniel's gaze turned away from him, then dropped to the floor. "You two might want to talk about it, maybe spend an hour or two at her place or yours to work it out. You have always been a good team. You work well together. I wouldn't want to see that get messed up."

"Yeah," Daniel murmured, silently adding, _'If you only knew how messed up things are right now.' _

Jack straightened. "Well, I'm off to talk to Mitchell about keeping it in his pants."

"Are you going to talk to Sam, too?"

"Ah, no, I think I'll pass on that. Ticking her off might result in her doing something to me that only scientists would understand."

"And Vala?"

"Hell no. Nothing I said would make a damn bit of difference anyway."

"Welcome to my world."

Jack patted Daniel's shoulder. "Cheer up, Daniel. It could be worse. It could have been Vala who was first given the fruit."

"Thanks, Jack. I'm already having nightmares about that."

The general smiled. "Yes, I imagine you are." With that, he walked out the doorway.

* * *

By the end of the week, the nerves of more than one member of SG-1 were completely frazzled, and they were all looking forward to the weekend off.

In the locker room, Cameron stripped off his T-shirt and BDU pants and began putting on his civvies.

"I am so looking forward to getting out of here for two days and going someplace for some fun," he said to Daniel, who was also getting changed. "I was thinking of hopping in my truck and heading up into the mountains. Wanna join me?" When there was no answer, the leader of SG-1 looked at Daniel, who seemed to be staring at something in his locker. "Hey. Earth to Jackson."

Daniel blinked a few times and turned to him. "What?"

"What's up with you? You've been acting out of it for days. Got something on your mind?"

"No," Daniel quickly replied, resuming the process of getting dressed. "This whole thing with M2C-523 has just been getting on my nerves."

"Hey, you should feel lucky that you're not in the same boat as me. If it wasn't for the fact that I've got a higher rank than the majority of military personnel here, I'd probably be getting a lot more comments. As it is, I've had to resist the urge to punch a few faces." Cameron smiled. "But I have a feeling that things will be better next week. Did you hear what happened to SG-11?"

"No."

"Three little eight and nine-year-olds managed to drug them, disarm them, and lock them in a barn with some cows and one big ol' ornery sow with a bunch of piglets. By the time the team got out, they weren't smelling too good and had developed a mortal fear of pigs." Cameron grinned. "Yep, I'd say they'll be the new targets of abuse on base."

"I don't envy them."

"Me neither, but I'm thanking any powers that be who might be listening that it happened. So, about that trip. Wanna come along?"

"Thanks, but I don't think so. I just want to go home, get a few things done, then relax."

"I hear ya." Cameron closed his locker and tossed his jacket over his shoulder. "See you on Monday."

* * *

Sam let out a sigh as she sank into the hot water, closing her eyes as it helped loosen her tense muscles. Friday night at last. This weekend would be spent doing some chores, catching up on her reading and generally trying to put the week behind her. Maybe she'd go to Denver tomorrow and do some impulse buying. It wasn't something she did very often, but, once in a while, it felt good to just go a little crazy and buy things she didn't need but really liked. She and Janet used to do that together on occasion.

Thinking about her dead friend made Sam feel a moment of sadness. There were times when she really missed Janet. If the physician was still alive, Sam probably would have confessed to her what she'd been feeling about Daniel.

The astrophysicist had been in the tub for a while and was thinking of getting out when there was a knock on the door. She was really tempted not to answer, but decided that she'd better see who it was. She wrapping a robe around herself and left the bathroom.

The person at the door was Daniel, whose eyes widened upon seeing how she was dressed and the way that the robe clung to her wet skin.

"I-I'm sorry, Sam. I didn't mean to disturb you. I can leave." He took a step back.

"No, it's okay. I was going to get out of the tub soon anyway. Come on in. I'll go get dressed."

Daniel wandered around the living room, looking at this and that as he waited. He was feeling very nervous, but he knew that this was a conversation they needed to have. Jack was right. They really needed to work this out.

Sam came out wearing a T-shirt and well-worn jeans.

"I, um . . . I think we should talk about what happened," Daniel told her.

Sam sighed. "Yes, I guess we should." She sat on the couch. The archeologist took a seat beside her.

"I've been thinking about it a lot," Daniel admitted. "Even knowing why it happened, I still feel. . . ."

"Uncomfortable?"

"No, not really. It's just that, all these years, we've been friends and teammates, and we never thought about doing anything like that with each other. Now, we have, and. . . ."

"And it feels like something's changed," Sam said softly.

"Yeah." Daniel sighed, leaning his head against the backrest. "I know that I should just forget about it and get my head on straight, go back to the way things were before. That's what I've been trying to do ever since we got back. But I . . ." he lifted his head and looked at her, "I can't forget. . . ."

"What it felt like," Sam whispered.

Daniel's heart began to beat faster. "It . . . it felt good."

Sam nodded, swallowing. "It's, um, been on my mind a lot, too."

"It has?"

"Yeah. Crazy, huh."

"Totally insane." Daniel's eyes locked with hers. "We should just forget it all and . . . and pretend like it didn't happen."

"Yes, we should."

They sat staring at each other, feeling the desire building once more. If they were smart, they'd get up, say goodbye, and never talk about it again. The problem was that they didn't want to be smart right then.

Neither one of them knew who it was that made the first move, but, suddenly, they were in each other's arms, their mouths locked in a kiss of wild, intense heat. Tongues delved deeply, almost desperately. Daniel crushed Sam against his body, tangling a hand in her hair and angling his mouth over hers to deepen the kiss even more. One of Sam's hands was in his hair, the other having slid underneath the back of his shirt.

Daniel's hand was finding its way under Sam's top when his more sensible self made itself heard. He drew back, his eyes piercing into Sam's. "You have no idea how much I want to make love to you right now."

"I want that, too," Sam admitted. "God, this is so insane."

"I know, which is why I think I should leave. I don't know what's happening to us, Sam. A week ago, we were just friends, and, now . . . now, I want a whole lot more." Daniel released her and got to his feet. "I think we need to take a step back and try to figure out what's going on between us."

Sam stood. She knew that he was right. This change in their feelings had happened so suddenly that neither of them had been given time to take a breath and come to terms with it. It could be that, with a little time, it would fade, and everything would go back to how it was before.

"I'll see you on Monday." Daniel said.

"Okay."

Sam stayed where she was as he headed for the door. He gave her one last look before he left.

As she went to bed that night, Sam couldn't help but wish that it was with Daniel.

* * *

For the next two weeks, Daniel and Sam never said a word to each other about what was happening between them. They continued at work as if nothing had changed, and no one had any idea that both of them were in turmoil.

Daniel buried himself in work in an attempt to get Sam out of his mind, to forget the longing he had for her. But, no matter how hard he tried, it didn't work. It was like what happened on that planet had turned on a light that made him see Sam in a new way. She could no longer be just a teammate and friend in his mind . . . or in his heart. No matter how many times he told himself that he had to get past it, he couldn't.

Like Daniel, Sam had been throwing all her energy into work, and she couldn't understand why it wasn't helping. When she'd been stupid enough to develop feelings for Jack, they didn't consume her like these emotions for Daniel did. But then, with Jack, it had been a gradual thing, something that grew over time. With Daniel, it had been like a lightning strike out of the blue, sudden and utterly unexpected. One second, he was just her friend, the next, he was. . . . Sam didn't know what he was now. She just knew that she didn't want him to be only a friend.

On Friday evening, Sam was surfing the Internet and got an idea to go searching for something that would help her understand what was happening between her and Daniel. By following links on various Web sites, she finally came to one that was about friends becoming lovers. It had a discussion forum. She took a look at some of the messages that were posted, but none of them were situations like what she and Daniel were going through, so she decided to post a message of her own and see what people had to say.

After creating a user name, she began typing a new message. She knew there were facts that, for obvious reasons, she couldn't be honest about, so she came up with a story that was as close to the truth as she could get.

_I'm in a situation with a friend that I just don't know what to make of. I'll call my friend DJ. We've known each other for over nine years. I have always recognized that DJ is a very handsome man, but he and I have never felt anything more than friendship, not even in the beginning. Actually, he was married back then. Though our relationship has gone through changes over the years, I have always loved him as a dear friend. I consider him to be my best friend._

Everything changed three weeks ago. DJ and I were out of town with some other friends and went to a party. We both got a little drunk, and, when we got back to the hotel, we ended up coming very close to making love. I have no doubt that it would have happened if we hadn't been interrupted. During the week that followed, neither one of us could stop thinking about it. We both recognized that something had changed. We didn't look at each other the same way anymore. 

_DJ finally came to my place so that we could talk about the whole thing, and it almost happened again. It's like we just couldn't help ourselves. We were both completely sober. DJ stopped it before it went very far. He said that we needed to take a step back and try to figure out what was going on._

Since then, we haven't talked about this. In fact, we've been avoiding each other as much as possible. Even so, I still can't get it out of my head. I can't stop wanting him. What's scariest of all is that I know it's more than just lust.

What's happening to us? How, after over nine years of being just friends, can this be happening? It seems so unbelievable.

Sam felt a little odd when she clicked the Send button. In fact, she almost didn't. But she really needed some guidance and answers, and there was no one she knew that she could turn to about this.

The next morning, Sam checked the forum and was surprised to already see several replies to her post. One in particular caught her attention.

_First, let me say that it doesn't matter how long you've been friends. Whether it's been two years or twenty, things like this can happen. You can be "just friends" for years, then something happens to change everything. With you and DJ, the catalyst was that night you got drunk and made out. It altered your perception of each other, created a sexual awareness that had never existed before. That comfortable "best friends" image is now colored with the feelings and sensations you experienced that night._

The fact that you haven't been able to get past what happened and get back to that comfortable place is an indication that there has always been a potential for more in your relationship. It was just waiting for the right trigger. It may even be that, if DJ hadn't been married when you first met, you'd have gotten into a relationship back then.

Your confusion and frustration are understandable. After having such a long friendship, the idea of taking it further would be scary, and it would be natural to resist what your heart and body are telling you they want. But here's a question for you. If DJ was a man you'd just recently met, and you had these feelings, what would you be thinking now? You need to set aside the fact that you're long-time friends, and look at it with the eyes of a woman. Right now, your friendship is getting in the way of seeing things clearly. Once you can do that, the answers you're seeking may come to you.

Sam sat staring at the words on the screen for a long time. She attempted to do what the person suggested, ignore who Daniel was and just concentrate on what she was feeling. If she felt things like this for some man she'd just met, she wouldn't be confused about it. She'd felt similar things for Pete, albeit in a much less intense and more controlled way.

One thing the person said kept going through Sam's mind. If Daniel had not been married when they met, would that have changed things? Would she have seen him as someone with whom she could be more than friends? Sam had to admit that he was everything she could want in a man: brilliant, passionate, caring, strong, courageous. . . . The list could go on and on. The plain and simple truth was that he would be quite a catch, and Sam knew that there were many women who'd have loved to be the one to catch him.

So, what did she want? Did she want all this to go away and go back to being just friends with him? Because of their teammate status, that would be the easier and more sensible choice. It would eliminate all kinds of problems and changes in their lives and careers that would have to be made. Yet she couldn't get past the feeling that what they were experiencing now could develop into something incredible . . . and very much worth it. 


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Vala lay on the bed, eyes closed, a small smile on her face as she thought about her passionate lovemaking with Cameron. It was not the first time, nor would it be the last. She'd been with many men in her life, but that had definitely been one of the most memorable.

_The desire, the **need**, burned within Vala's mind and body, drowning her senses with overpowering lust. She was already naked, having stripped the moment they were in the room together. Cameron was naked from the waist up, his vest and T-shirt having been wrested off him by her. Vala had seen his bare upper body before, but, this time, it was so much different. She glided her hands over his skin, running her fingers through his chest hair. _

_"Vala, come on. You know we're not supposed to do this," Cameron said, trying to push her hands away and clearly making a Herculean effort not to look at her body. _

_"I don't care," Vala told him. "I want you. Now." She slid her hand down inside his pants. _

_Cameron yelped, almost levitating off the bed. He let out a string of curses. Vala only smiled. She had felt the evidence of his desire for her. He was just playing hard to get. She began rubbing up and down his body, running her hands over him. _

_"God, Vala. Please stop. I'm only human, and. . . ." His voice trailed off in a moan as her hand went back inside his pants. He bucked against her, choking out a curse. "L-look, I'll, uh . . . I'll just take care of you, okay? T-then the effects will wear off, and . . . and . . . oh God." He groaned as Vala licked one of his nipples. _

_Cameron grasped Vala's shoulders in a firm grip. Blazing eyes stared into hers. And then his mouth came crashing down on hers in a bruising kiss. Now, it was his hands on her body, touching her everywhere, driving her wild. _

_Between the two of them, they stripped off the remainder of his clothes. And then he was on top of her. _

_"Now, Cam. I want you now," Vala begged. _

_Cameron slid back up and, with a swift motion, joined their bodies. They both groaned and wasted no time in starting to move, the passion taking complete control of them. Vala flipped over so that Cameron was beneath her and continued to move with him, crying out at the incredible feeling of pleasure. Cameron's sounds of rapture rang in her ears. _

_And then, all at once, Vala's climax hit her, setting her on fire. She cried out her lover's name, hearing him groan hers as he climaxed seconds later. _

Vala smiled in pleasure at the memory. They'd both lain dazed for two or three minutes. The effects of the fruit were just starting to noticeably wear off when a woman came in, causing Cameron to scramble to cover them. She apologized for coming in too soon, but, by then, it was clear that Cam was going into shock over what he'd just done. They got dressed without speaking a word.

Even though Vala knew that the only reason it happened was because of the effects of the fruit, she did not regret it. It was an incredible experience, and she hoped it would happen again someday. But she would have to be patient. Because they were teammates, Cameron wouldn't let it happen again . . . at least not yet. But, in time, that might change. Sooner or later, Vala would get Cameron Mitchell in her bed again. And, when she did, she'd make him very happy that he was there.

* * *

Daniel sat staring at the blank TV screen, his bare feet on the coffee table. With a sigh, he took off his glasses and laid them on the end table, rubbing his eyes. He should have gone to work today. Maybe he would have gotten at least something done. He hadn't been able to accomplish a damn thing here at home. His mind just kept wandering to Sam. He had thought that time would dull these feelings, make them go away. But they weren't going away. In fact, they were getting stronger. He ached for her. He dreamed of being with her, and not just while he was asleep. And his dreams were of more than just sex. That was the scariest part. He wanted her in more that just a physical way. How could he be feeling this way for Sam, a woman he'd been just friends with for so long? This was insane.

There was a knock on the door. Daniel opened it to find the object of his thoughts on the other side.

"Hi," she said, smiling a little nervously.

"Hi." Daniel stepped aside for her to come in, then shut the door.

Sam headed into the living room. She went to the fireplace and began fidgeting with a small figurine atop the mantle.

"I, um . . . I've still been thinking a lot about . . . it," she said. "I can't seem to keep myself from thinking about it."

Daniel sighed. "Yeah, me too, although I've really tried hard not to."

"I've been trying to figure out why this is happening. I mean, I know how it started, but I couldn't understand. . . ."

"Why it won't go away," Daniel murmured.

"Yeah." Sam put the figurine down and wandered in the direction of the couch. She was hyper-aware of Daniel's eyes on her and avoided looking at him.

Daniel watched Sam moving across the living room. He could see that she was very nervous. So was he, for that matter. All during these past two weeks, he'd avoided seeing Sam as much as possible because of what he felt every time he looked at her, an almost overwhelming desire to be with her. Now, alone in his apartment, it was taking all his self-control not to kiss her. God, he wanted that kiss so badly.

Recognizing that his control was slipping, Daniel cleared his throat and asked, "Do you want something to drink?"

"Um . . . yeah, some juice or soda would be good."

Daniel fairly sprinted toward the kitchen at the same time as Sam made a move for the sofa, and their courses unintentionally intersected. And that's all it took. Their self-control disintegrated, and, in the next second, they were in each other's arms, kissing with desperate, all-consuming hunger.

A moment later, Sam found herself lying on the couch, Daniel above her, his hands running across her body. She arched upward, pressing herself as closely as possible to him. A low groan rose out of his throat. He shifted his position to lie fully upon her. The feeling of him against her was driving her senses over the edge of reason.

In that moment, all the thoughts about work, the rules, what was sensible, and what they should be doing didn't matter one damn bit. All that mattered was this, this incredible feeling running rampant inside them.

"Bed," Sam gasped, bucking her hips against Daniel's to add emphasis to the word.

Daniel lifted her up and carried her toward the bedroom, her legs wrapped around his waist. On the way, a wall got in the way, and Sam was abruptly up against it, Daniel's mouth on her neck. He grabbed the hem of her top and yanked it off to go flying across the room. Sam feverishly attacked the buttons of his shirt, almost popping a couple before managing to get the article of clothing off. Her bra was an obstacle that was soon no longer there.

Daniel's hands went to her breasts. Sam threw her head back, her breath coming in sharp, rapid pants. She let out a gasping cry as his lips descended upon the place where his hands had been. She felt like she was going to explode at any second. She began fumbling with his belt and zipper. The pants soon fell to the floor. Daniel stepped out of them and kicked the material away. They struggled to get Sam's slacks off. At last, they were also on the floor, along with her shoes, socks and panties.

Sam's hand slid beneath the last article of clothing separating them to touch him. Daniel groaned loudly and rocked against her. He couldn't wait any longer. Apparently, Sam felt the same way, for she pushed his boxers down.

Daniel lifted her away from the wall and carried her to the bed, where he lay down upon her. For the first time since their lovemaking began, their eyes met. And then, Daniel joined his body with hers. They both cried out at the feeling.

For a moment, Daniel couldn't move, the feeling so intense that he was in danger of falling off the edge. He met Sam's eyes again and saw that she was as overwhelmed by the feeling as he was. It would not take long for them both to fall over the edge.

Finally, Daniel began to move, causing a groan to rise from their throats. Their eyes slid shut as the feeling took over, immersing them completely. Sam was right there with Daniel, matching him move for move, head thrown back in abandon. Their moans, gasps and soft cries were not like the noises they'd made while pretending to make love. They spoke no words, what they were experiencing taking them beyond the ability of speech.

Daniel could feel his impending release swiftly approaching. But he did not want to have it alone. He was preparing to help Sam along when she suddenly reached climax, it hitting her with the power of a runaway freight train. Daniel joined her in release, his senses blacking out for an instant at the intensity of it.

Their climax seemed to last forever and left them trembling. For a long minute, they lay unmoving. At last, Daniel lifted his head and gazed down at Sam. He caressed her cheek, his eyes searching hers for some sign of regret. There were none.

Smiling, Sam touched his face. "Daniel."

He returned her smile and kissed her softly, gently. Holding her close, he rolled onto his side. Time ticked by as they lay side-by-side in each other's arms, hands slowly caressing.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised this happened," Sam said. "When I decided to come over here, I knew I'd be playing with fire."

Daniel ran a hand down the curve of her side to her hips. "I have been fantasizing every day about doing this."

"Me too."

Daniel pulled away slightly so that he could look at her body. He caressed a breast with his fingers, gazing upon it like he'd never seen a woman's breasts before. The touch made Sam tremble.

"You are so beautiful," Daniel murmured. "God, I can believe I'm feeling this." He bent and kissed one of the soft mounds, placing a second between her breasts. A third was pressed to her breastbone. He lifted his head and met her eyes. "If someone had told me a month ago that I'd be lying here like this with you, I'd have said they were crazy. Yet, now that I'm here, it feels like it's where I should have been all this time."

Sam touched his cheek. "I know. I feel the same way. It almost doesn't seem real." She smiled. "You know, at one time, I used to think of you like a brother."

"You did?"

"Uh huh, back in those early years. We'd stay up half the night, puzzling over some alien object, finishing each other's sentences like our brains were hardwired. It was like we were twins separated at birth."

"Hmm. Well, I'm very glad that those brotherly feelings aren't around anymore."

"Oh? And why is that?" Sam asked, her hands skimming over his haunches, giving him a little squeeze and making him gasp.

"Well, if you still thought of me like a brother, I wouldn't be doing things like this, now would I." Daniel tongue came out and dipped into Sam's ear, making her let out a little moan.

Sam rolled Daniel beneath her. "You're absolutely right. No more brotherly feelings ever, ever again," she said just before capturing Daniel's lips with hers. The kiss was long and deep.

Daniel felt his desire returning. "Sam, I should tell you that, despite rumors to the contrary, I do require a little bit of time to, as Vala put it, recharge my equipment."

Sam smiled. "Don't worry." She placed her lips against his. "I can be very patient."

* * *

As it turned out, Daniel's recovery time wasn't nearly as long as he'd thought it would be. Of course, the incredibly sexy, gorgeous woman making love to him might have had something to do with it.

As they climaxed for the second time that night, they were overwhelmed with the joy of it, never having experienced more fulfilling lovemaking.

Once they were sufficiently recovered, they crawled under the covers and back into each other's arms. Soon, sleep overtook them.

Daniel was the first to awaken the next morning. He gazed down at Sam's sleeping face, and, suddenly, his heart swelled with so much emotion that it brought tears to his eyes. It was a feeling he'd had only one other time in his life: during the time he had with Sha're. That realization stunned Daniel. He was in love. As crazy as it was, he'd fallen utterly in love with Sam. And a fall it had been, a wild tumble off a steep cliff. Just as he'd fallen at first sight for Sha're, this change in his feelings for Sam did not have a gradual awakening, a fire that slowly grew. Up until that day he pretended to make love with a nearly naked Sam, she had been just a dear friend and teammate, nothing more. How could things have changed so suddenly? How could this feeling have metamorphosed so quickly? Feeling it now, it seemed so natural, as if it was always supposed to be this way.

Sam stirred in his arms, her eyes fluttering open. She smiled at him. Then she saw the rather stunned expression on his face.

"Daniel, what's wrong?"

He looked intently into her eyes. "Sam, I. . . . As insane as it may be, I think I'm in love with you."

Sam gasped. "Oh my God."

"I know it's crazy. Only three weeks ago, you were a teammate and friend." He cupped her cheek. "But I know this feeling, Sam. I've felt it before. I love you."

Sam was speechless, utterly stunned. This was unbelievable. How could things have changed so fast? She felt things for Daniel, feelings that she'd had before, but never anywhere near this powerfully. Never before had she'd known in her heart that she would give up anything to be with someone.

Daniel was talking again. "Sam, I don't expect you to feel the same. This is all so sudden. But I hope that—" He was interrupted by Sam's fingers on her lips.

"You're right, Daniel," she said. "It is crazy, so crazy that it's hard to believe. But I think that . . ." she gazed into his eyes, "that I'm crazy right along with you."

Daniel's breath drew in sharply. "You are?"

Sam smiled. "You'd better call the men in white coats to come get both of us."

Daniel began to laugh. He pulled Sam tightly against him, burying his face in her hair. He kissed her neck, then her jaw, then softly on her cheek. He drew back and met her eyes. "I love you," he whispered as he closed the distance between them, kissing her with all the love he was feeling. Sam returned it equally. She said the words back to him as their lips separated.

And then they made love, slowly, gently, every touch, every kiss having extra meaning now. As their bodies joined, Daniel spoke the three words again and heard them echoed back to him with Sam's voice. They cried out the words yet again as they climaxed together.

Quite some time later, they were in the kitchen, fixing breakfast. They were both ravenous. Daniel was admiringly watching Sam scramble eggs wearing nothing but his shirt. He came up behind her and ran his hands up her thighs and under the shirt, making her movements falter.

"You keep doing that, and we won't get any breakfast," she said.

"Hmm. I'm very tempted to say forget breakfast, but I have a sneaking suspicion we're going to need the calories." Daniel bent his head and kissed the side of her neck.

"Why, Doctor Jackson, what are you implying?"

He turned her around in his arms, pressing her up against the counter. "That I intend to make love to you all day long," he replied before devouring her mouth.

* * *

The eggs only got a little burned. They were eaten with gusto, along with toast, hash browns and juice. Once every crumb was gone and the dishes rinsed and put in the sink. Daniel grabbed Sam's hand and tugged her, laughing, back into the bedroom.

They didn't make love all day long, but they certainly did come as close as two people their age could.

They were now on the couch, spooned together under a blanket, naked and utterly content as they listened to music in the dim light of a single lamp.

Daniel kissed the back of Sam's neck. "Do you have any idea how long it's been since I was anywhere near this happy? So long that I almost forgot how it felt."

Sam ran her fingers up and down his arm. "I've _never_ felt like this. Oh, I've been quite happy many times in my life, but not like this. I guess that's what love does to you."

"Sam, I really hate bringing this up, but what are we going to do about work?"

Sam turned around in his arms to face him. "I don't know. We could try hiding this, but, if our superiors ever found out, we'd both be in very big trouble."

"I'm not sure I could anyway. I don't want this to be just stolen moments behind closed doors, Sam. I want to feel free to walk down the street holding your hand, go to a romantic restaurant with you, do all the things a guy does with his girlfriend."

"I want that, too, Daniel." Sam searched his eyes. "One of us will probably have to leave the team."

"I'd leave if it meant I could be with you, Sam."

She shook her head. "No, you can't. You're needed on the team more than any of us. Your knowledge and understanding of the Ascended and your ability to read Ancient are vital."

"So are your skills, Sam. You've pulled us out of desperate situations more than once. Maybe something can be worked out to let us both stay on the team. The situation with the Ori is so critical right now."

"I know."

"Then I guess we'd better figure out what we're going to say to Landry tomorrow."

* * *

Morning came all too soon for the new lovers. Knowing that their teammates should be told first, Daniel and Sam asked them all to come to the archeologist's office. When Daniel closed the door, the three people knew this was going to be serious.

"Was something new found out about the Ori?" Vala asked.

"No, this has nothing to do with the Ori," Daniel replied. He glanced at Sam. "We thought it only fair to tell you that one of us might no longer be on the team after today."

"What?" Cameron responded, not liking what he'd just heard. "Why would one of you no longer be on the team?"

"Because they have become more than friends," Teal'c guessed, knowing that he was right.

Cameron laughed. "What? That's a joke, right?" He looked at the pair. "Right?"

They shook their heads.

"You mean that you two are a couple now?" Vala asked, beginning to smile.

"Yes," Daniel replied.

Vala's smile became a grin. "Don't you dare tell us now that you haven't had sex!"

Daniel and Sam looked at each other and smiled. Then Sam turned to Cameron, who was gaping at them. She recalled what he'd said on M2C-523 and decided it was her duty to set the record straight.

"And I'd like to say that being over forty doesn't seem to have slowed Daniel's recovery time all that much."

That's when Vala nearly fell out of the chair, her mind whirling with images of what Sam and Daniel's weekend must have been like.

"This is really not what I wanted to hear," Cameron said. "I get the band back together, and, now, you guys do this. I suppose it's too much to hope that you've worked it out of your system, and everything can go back to how it was before."

"Sorry, Mitchell, but there's no working this out of our systems," Daniel responded.

Teal'c smiled slightly. "They are in love."

"What? Love! Nobody said anything about love," Cameron objected.

"I'm afraid he's right, Cam," Sam told him.

Vala clapped her hands together. "How absolutely lovely. I know I don't show it, but I'm really quite a romantic at heart."

Cameron looked back and forth between the new lovers, finally seeing what Teal'c had seen almost immediately. They looked happy, truly, deeply happy. In the time he'd known Daniel, he'd rarely seen the man happy at all. Now, his face was transformed by it. He looked years younger, like the weight of the world that he'd been carrying for so long had finally been lifted. And Sam. . . . She looked more beautiful than Cameron had ever seen.

"You really do love each other," the pilot said.

"Yes, we do," Daniel replied.

"Then I guess I can't really be mad." Cameron could not deny them this happiness. They both deserved it. And it was nice to see them that happy.

Sam smiled at him. "Thanks, Cam."

"So, does this really mean that one of you will have to leave SG-1?" Vala asked.

"Yes, probably so, unless the military agrees to give us a special dispensation."

"How likely is that?"

"I don't know. Part of it is going to depend on how Landry feels. If he's against it, it definitely won't happen. If General O'Neill or even General Hammond was still in command, I'd give us a better chance, but I just don't know how Landry will react."

"He knows how important you both are to the team," Cameron said. "Hell, you two are our lead singers in the band."

The lovers looked at each other again.

"There is one thing we can do that might fix the problem," Sam said.

* * *

Daniel and Sam sat down in the chairs across from General Landry, who was seated behind his desk.

"Okay, what's this about?" he asked.

"Sir, it's on a personal matter," Sam replied. She took a deep breath. "General, Daniel and I are here to inform you that we intend to start dating."

Landry's mouth fell open. He looked back and forth between them. "Is this a joke?"

"No, sir. Our feelings for each other have changed, and we wish to pursue a romantic relationship."

The general just sat there, stunned. "Where the hell did this come from, that stuff on M2C-523?"

"That's what made us realize that we no longer wanted to be just friends," Daniel replied.

"And have you already been pursuing this romantic relationship?" Landry waved his hand. "Never mind. I don't want to know." He stared at them with a hard expression. "You do realize that this means one of you will have to leave SG-1."

"Unless the military is willing to give us a special dispensation, sir," Sam said.

"I don't know if that will be possible."

Sam handed him an envelope. "Then I'm giving you this, sir."

Landry took it. "What is it?"

"My resignation from military service."

Landry looked at her sharply, shocked.

"Once I am no longer a member of the military, I can be hired as a civilian employee," Sam explained. "As civilians, there would be no rules preventing me and Daniel from being on the same team and having a relationship."

"So, you're suggesting that you quit the Air Force, be hired as a civilian, then be placed back on SG-1?"

"Yes, sir. We have already spoken to Colonel Mitchell about this, and he said that he wants me on the team, regardless of whether or not I'm in the military."

Landry studied her intently. "You're actually willing to do this, give up your commission?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, sir. I used to think that my career was just about the most important thing in my life." She looked at Daniel. "I feel differently now."

Landry leaned back in his chair, looking at the envelope. "All right, I'll talk to some people, see what I can work out."

"Thank you, sir."

After Daniel and Sam left his office, Hank Landry picked up the phone and dialed a number he'd called many times since taking command of the SGC.

"Jack, you're not going to believe this."

* * *

Daniel stared at the picture on the screen, but wasn't really paying attention to what he was seeing. He and Sam had been on tenterhooks ever since their announcement to Landry yesterday morning. The general hadn't spoken a word to them since then, giving no indication on what the decision might be.

"Well, you really knocked me for a loop this time."

Startled, Daniel looked up to see Jack standing in the doorway.

The archeologist sighed. "I guess I should have expected this."

"That I'd come here after finding out that two members of SG-1 are suddenly no longer just friends?"

"Look, Jack, I know what you're going to say—"

"Do you?" Jack came further into the room. "You know what I thought when Hank first told me? I thought no way. You and Carter? After all these years? Uh uh. Not that you wouldn't make a good pair. You're enough alike that it could work. But friends don't suddenly become a whole lot more than that after nine and a half years of friendship. And then he told me about Carter's letter of resignation. She must love you an awful lot to be willing to give up her military career for you."

"No more than I love her, Jack. I'd leave the SGC, if it was the only way to be with her. But she wouldn't be resigning just for me. She'd be resigning for SG-1's sake, too, so that we could both still be on the team. It was the only solution we could come up with, if we couldn't get a special dispensation."

Jack stared at Daniel silently for a long time. He then went to the phone and called Sam's lab.

"Carter, I'm in Daniel's office. Please come up here."

Sam arrived a couple of minutes later, looking very nervous. "Sir." She went and stood by Daniel.

Jack studied them. "So, you love each other."

"Yes, sir," Sam replied, "very much."

"This isn't just some flash in the pan that'll end in a few months."

"No, sir, it isn't."

Jack's gaze focused on his best friend. "Daniel?"

"I've never felt anything like this, Jack, except for Sha're. That should tell you something."

"Yes, it does." Jack nodded. "All right. I've already talked to the president about this. I figured that I'd go right to the top instead of working through channels. I told him about the resignation and your plan to stay together on SG-1 as civilians."

"And?" Daniel asked.

"And, after giving it due consideration, General Landry, the president and I," Jack looked at Sam, "have all decided that we're not ready to set you free from the Air Force quite yet."

Sam frowned. "What does that mean, sir?"

"It means, Carter, that you've got your special dispensation."

Twin smiles of delight spread across Daniel and Sam's faces.

"That's great, sir," Sam exclaimed.

Jack held up his hand. "Hold on. I'm not finished. There are two conditions. One is that you both demonstrate that you can maintain a professional relationship while on duty, especially on missions. If you have trouble on a mission because you have a personal issue going on between you, then that's it. One of you is off the team, regardless of whether or not you're both civilians."

"And the other condition?" Daniel asked.

"That's the big one. I hope you guys really are serious about this relationship. You see, the president figured that he'd get less flak about this from the military bigwigs if he used a rather extreme variation of an exception that's in the regs regarding relationships between officers and enlisted personnel." Jack's gaze fixed on Daniel. "You'd better get down on one knee, Daniel. You're going to be proposing to Carter."

The two scientists gaped at him.

"W-what?" Daniel stammered.

"You have to be married," Jack explained. "If you're married, Carter can stay in the Air Force, and you can both stay on SG-1. If you're not prepared to do that at this time, Carter's letter of resignation will be accepted." Jack headed for the door. "I'll let you think about it for a while."

Jack left the room, closing the door behind him. Sam sat down rather heavily.

"This I hadn't expected," Daniel murmured.

"Me neither. Wow."

Daniel turned to her. "Sam, I don't know how you feel about this. Everything is moving so fast. But I want you to know that I would be the happiest guy in the galaxy if you were to marry me." He smiled. "I've already gotten one wife without a courtship. Why not another? At least, this time, I'd actually know I was getting married."

Sam gazed at Daniel, the man she knew in her heart was the love of her life. He had made his feelings known, leaving the decision up to her. Was she ready to marry him? Less than two years ago, she was preparing to walk down the aisle with another man but couldn't make herself go through with it. The reasons had been many, one of which no longer existed. As for the others. . . . At the time, though she had thought it was what she wanted, Sam had come to the conclusion that she was not ready to make the commitment of marriage. As much as she cared about Pete, the program and her career were the main focuses of her life, and she had known that, if she married him, that focus would have to change.

But, with Daniel, it was different, _everything_ was different. She would sacrifice things for him that she never would have for Pete. Not only that, but, because he was also in the program, there would be no concrete division between work and family, no husband impatiently waiting at home for her to show up, no expectations for her to work only as long each day as was required and take all the leave time coming to her. But then, even if he was no longer in the program and would be that husband waiting for her to come home, Sam knew that she'd be eager to get home to him.

Sam's eyes returned to Daniel. He was watching her intently, waiting for her answer. She smiled at him. "So, do you think I should have Vala as one of my bridesmaids?"

Daniel laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. "Whatever you want, Sam. Just don't expect her to behave in a proper manner at the reception."

Sam drew back, her lips a hair's breath away from Daniel's. "I think I can handle that," she murmured, closing the distance between them with a kiss that was full of hope for the years ahead.

THE END


End file.
